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English 24.9; INTRODUCTION TO SEMIOLOGY Introduction to Semiology, Fall 2009 Bulletin Description: The study of semiology as a branch of linguistics. Its influence on the analysis of language, culture, and text. The nature of structures and systems of signs in relationship to literature and culture. Discussion: This course will introduce semiotics as the "science of signs." We will look at the development of the field mostly through writings related directly to the theory of signs. Our reading will range from the writings of early thinkers like Hippocrates, Plato, and Saint Augustine to the more formative writings of the originators, especially Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Sanders Pierce (pronounced "purse"), of modern semiotics as a discipline. We will also read some of the work of more recent contributors to the field, such as Susanne K. Langer, Roman Jakobson, and Claude Levi-Strauss. We will look at semiotics as related to theories of meaning in the philosophy of language, criticism in the arts, and theories of the nature of the mind, of culture, and of human society. We will discover that semiotics is a very wide-ranging and exciting field that has applications to many parts of our daily lives. There will be a series of short homework assignments on the readings; there will be two in-class tests--one at the end of each of the first two sections of the course; there will also be a final on Tuesday, December 15th, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm covering the last two sections of the class. Finally, there will be a short term paper assignment due on Tuesday, November 24th. We will try to schedule some brief oral presentations of the term papers during the last two-three weeks of the semester. Participation in class discussion will be especially important in this class. Your participation should reflect your reading of the assigned chapters and essays, as well as your completion of the homework assignments.
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